Container cover and support means



May 13, 1941. L. e. BATES 2,241,501-

CONTAINER COVER AND SUPPORT MEANS Filed Jan. 26, 1959 INVENTOR. Lawrence G. Ba fee ATTORNEY Patented May 13, 1941 UNITED STATES'PATENT OFFICE CONTAINEB OVER AND SUPPORT IVIEANS Lawrence G. Bates, Cleveland, Ohio Application January :26, 1939, Serial No. 252,956

1 Claim. (c1. 215--38) customarily, container covers are held in slightly variant form, and for instance bottles and many larger containers have their covers crimped on, some jelly glasses and the like have their covers held by vacuum or an adhesive gasket or both, some bottles and fruit jars have screw covers and some have toggle-locks as an outside harness. As readily seen, after the cover is set down the applying pressure is no longer acting and there is no continuing mechanical tensioning means to further constantly hold the cover down, and in the toggle-lock type form there is a particularly lessened draw-down since the locking depends upon super-closing of the toggle past its knee-alignment and after the toggleknee is passed the pressure falls ofl; besides also, the external harness is objectionally in the way. In accordance with the present invention, a construction may be had which continues to positively draw a cover against a container after the applying action and pressure initially exerted has ceased. Such construction furthermore may be simply and easily manufactured and may be particularly easily applied, whether by hand or by machine capping, and removal when desired may be easily accomplished. 7

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, the invention, then, comprises the features hereinafter fully decribed, and particularly pointed out in the claims, the following description and the annexed setting forth in detail certain illustrative embodiments of the invention, these being indicative however, of but a few of the various ways in which the principle of the invention may be employed.

In said annexed drawing:

Figs. 1 and la show illustrative embodiments of the invention; Figs. 1b, 1c and 1d are sectional details of modifications; Fig. 2 is an inverse plan view of a form of a cover in acordance with the invention; Figs. 3 and 3a are fragmentary sectional views showing the parts before and after assembly; and Figs. 4 and 5 are fragmentary details of forms of spring means that maybe employed.

In general, there is contemplated a cover to seat on a container opening and having self contained spring means constantly drawing the cover tight. In illustrative forms as shown, a container 2 or 2, Figs. 1 and 1a, has a cap or cover 3. As readily seen, the container 2 may be of shape and size as desired, whether for instance of the jelly glass type as illustrated in Fig. l, or bottle type as illustrated in Fig. 1a. As a further refinement and feature of the invention, however, in some instances there is provided a unique relationship between the cover and the base of the container, as will be referred to more in detail hereinafter. The cover in general is of a form to fit the opening of the container, and it may be of any suitable material, metal such as for instance tin, zinc, etc. being desirable for some uses, and molded plastic materials, as for instance the synthetic resins and the like being desirable in some instances, and glass or porcelain for instance being desired in still others. Spring tensioning means is provided, and without presenting objectionable external obstruction, this may very advantageously be formed in a peripheral position to bear against the marginal portion of the container mouth. Where the flare of the mouth is sufficient, no additional beading on the edge is required, as illustrated in Fig. 1b, and where beading is involved it may be internal to suitably engage the spring means or external, preferably the latter, and as illustrated in Fig, 3, the container 2 may have a slight bead 4 on the outer periphery of its opening, such that the spring means, shown in the form of a circumferential coil spring 5 may act upon the bead when set down into position as shown in Fig. 3a; here, the spring means bears on the other hand against the flange 6 of the cover. In most cases it is desirable to include a gasket 8 which may be a preformed ring for instance of suitable material, rubber or other gum-like substances or it may be coated or printed on in suitable manner.

It will be readily understood that the cover may beset into place on the container by simply pressingit down by hand, as applicable in domestic usage and in many instances of commercial usage, or mechanical appliers may be employed where desired in the art. The spring means is such as to compensate and yield in adjustment as it is pressed over the flare or bead of the container mouth and it continues to exert its pressure drawing the cover tight. The form of the spring means may be varied, but particularly advantageous forms are a coil spring 5, or a reverse bend spring 5. Such spring means may be initially made in continuous form and be cut to appropriate lengths and be easily inserted, the ends to ends, within the flange 6 of the cover. If a further in-bend 1 be provided on the flange the spring means is held particularly securely against displacement.

With some. containers I especially conform the cover 2 in relation to the base such that the base may seat inside of the spring means of the inverted cover, as illustrated. in the dotted line position in Fig. 1. And, by having the cover of suitable surface condition, a container so seated may be particularly easily slid around on a table or the like, or conversely as for instance in usage on shipboard, etc., the surface of the cover may be roughened or frictionally augmented such as to prevent too easy sliding. In some instances, it is of particular advantage to form in the cover a slight recessing, which on the exterior may present a slight raised annulus l0, and on the interior may present a seating groove to more particularly receive the sealing gasket 8. Where a groove is not desired, an annular shoulder lflb may be formed in the cover, asindicated in Fib. 1b, and the gasket may seat-thereagainst; or in somecases it is sufficient to make the cover plain, no special means for holding'the gasket being necessary, as shown in Fig. 10. In instances where the duty is such that sufiicient resiliency in the spring 5 maybe had in rubber, the spring may take the form of an annular cordlike element thereof, having the same section as the spring 5; The gasket may be omitted; or if desired the spring portionmay be formed integral with the gasket 8, that is, being contoured generally as in the separate spring and gasket construction, but here being integral. It will be understood that this construction is not in all cases the full equivalent of the more positive spring, but it is sufficient in some usages. As

indicated in Figs. 1b and 10, also, the flange 6b, or 60, may take the form of a simple inturned margin. In some instances, less desirably the spring means may be combined in common with the margin of the cover, this being of sufficiently resilient material, and the margin being in-curved such as to resiliently engage the periphery of the container mouth. Spaced apart cuts I2 may be made in the cover-edge if desired in order to'increase the spring-action.

Other modes of applying the principle of the invention may be employed, change being made J as regards the details described, provided the features stated in the following claim, or the equivalent of such, be employed.

I therefore particularly point out and distinctlyclaim as my invention:

' In a "device of the character described, a

. combined container cover and coaster having an LAWRENCE G. BATES. 

